[Rd] Process to Incorporate Functions from {parallely} into base R's {parallel} package

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 06/11/2020 4:47 p.m., Balamuta, James Joseph wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Henrik Bengtsson has done some fantastic work with {future} and, more importantly, greatly improved constructing and deconstructing a parallelized environment within R. It was with great joy that I saw Henrik slowly split off some functionality of {future} into {parallelly} package. Reading over the package’s README, he states:
> 
>> The functions and features added to this package are written to be backward compatible with the parallel package, such that they may be incorporated there later.
>> The parallelly package comes with an open invitation for the R Core Team to adopt all or parts of its code into the parallel package.
> 
> https://github.com/HenrikBengtsson/parallelly
> 
> I’m wondering what the appropriate process would be to slowly merge some functions from {parallelly} into the base R {parallel} package. Should this be done with targeted issues on Bugzilla for different fields Henrik has identified? Or would an omnibus patch bringing in all suggested modifications be preferred? Or is it best to discuss via the list-serv appropriate contributions?

One way is to convince R Core that incorporating this into the parallel 
package would

  - make less work for them, or
  - add a lot to R that couldn't happen if it was a contributed package.

The fact that it's good isn't a good reason to put it into a base 
package, which would largely mean transferring Henrik's workload to R 
Core.  There are lots of good packages, and their maintainers should 
continue to maintain them.

Duncan Murdoch